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The Journey from “Factories in Homes” to Legal Recognition and Rights for Home-Based Workers in Pakistan

By , on December 20, 2022

This brief discusses the struggle of home-based workers in Pakistan to realize the rights enshrined in the Sindh Home-Based Workers Act of 2018 – the first piece of legislation in South Asia solely for home-based workers.

Key Points:

  • Home-based workers in Pakistan organized for nearly two decades for legislation: the Sindh Home-Based Workers Act, 2018.
  • Research began by identifying thousands of workers as home-based workers and years were spent organizing around the common issues they face. In 2009, a national-level union – the Home-Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) – was formed.
  • A strengthened HBWWF, with support from its allies, used many strategies to advocate for legislation including organizing protests, meeting with government officials and politicians, and building solidarity.
  • With legislation now in place, home-based workers in Sindh continue to advocate for its enforcement.

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Citation Information

Khan, Zehra, and Dinesh, Krithika. The Journey from “Factories in Homes” to Legal Recognition and Rights for Home-Based Workers in Pakistan. WIEGO Organizing Brief No. 13, , . WIEGO, 2022. https://www.wiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/wiego-organizing-law-brief-No-13.pdfKhan, Z., and Dinesh, K. (2022). The Journey from “Factories in Homes” to Legal Recognition and Rights for Home-Based Workers in Pakistan. WIEGO Organizing Brief No. 13, , . https://www.wiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/wiego-organizing-law-brief-No-13.pdfKhan, Zehra, and Dinesh, Krithika. "The Journey from “Factories in Homes” to Legal Recognition and Rights for Home-Based Workers in Pakistan." WIEGO Organizing Brief No. 13, WIEGO, 2022, .Khan Zehra, and Dinesh Krithika. "The Journey from “Factories in Homes” to Legal Recognition and Rights for Home-Based Workers in Pakistan." WIEGO Organizing Brief No. 13 (2022). https://www.wiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/wiego-organizing-law-brief-No-13.pdfKhan, Z, and Dinesh, K 2022, 'The Journey from “Factories in Homes” to Legal Recognition and Rights for Home-Based Workers in Pakistan', WIEGO Organizing Brief No. 13, , . https://www.wiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/wiego-organizing-law-brief-No-13.pdfZehra Khan, and Krithika Dinesh, 'The Journey from “Factories in Homes” to Legal Recognition and Rights for Home-Based Workers in Pakistan' (2022) WIEGO Organizing Brief No. 13 Khan Z., and Dinesh K. The Journey from “Factories in Homes” to Legal Recognition and Rights for Home-Based Workers in Pakistan. WIEGO Organizing Brief No. 13. 2022. https://www.wiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/wiego-organizing-law-brief-No-13.pdfKhan, Zehra, and Dinesh, Krithika. The Journey from “Factories in Homes” to Legal Recognition and Rights for Home-Based Workers in Pakistan. WIEGO Organizing Brief No. 13. 2022. , . https://www.wiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/wiego-organizing-law-brief-No-13.pdf

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